Kozinski



J. KOZINSKI Feb. 14, 1956 THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS FOR APPLYING DRY HEAT TO BODY CAVITIES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 29, 1954 INVENTOR. Jwgvfi (az/kvf/ BY QM ll mm J. KOZlNSKl Feb. 14, 1956 THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS FOR APPLYING DRY HEAT TO BODY CAVITIES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 29, 1954 iIIlIIII/l I IH INVENTOR. Jay i (oz/ 751! United States Patent THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS FOR APPLYING DRY HEAT TO BODY CAVITIES Joseph Kozinski, Chicago, 111., assignor to H. G. Fischer and Company, Inc., Franklin Park, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 29, 1954, Serial No. 419,261

1 Claim. (Cl. 128-401) This invention relates to a therapeutic apparatus and is an improvement upon the apparatus disclosed in Patents 2,190,383 and 2,190,384 issued February 15, 1940 to Newman. As is more fully set forth in the aforementioned patents, there are instances where it is desirable to apply dry heat to the vaginal or other cavities in the human body. Such application of heat is particularly desirable where local sterilization or pathogenic destruction is necessary. Such heat is frequently effective at a predetermined temperature above normal body temperature.

In the patents referred to above, there is disclosed means for circulating warm air in a flexible rubber applicator. The applicator which in its simplest form may consist of a simple rubber pocket, may be introduced into the body cavity while the applicator is deflated. After the rubber applicator is properly positioned, a motor driven air pump provides air heated to a predetermined temperature for circulating air through the applicator and providing the necessary heat to the desired part of the body.

This invention provides improved apparatus over that disclosed and claimed in the above identified patents. The new improved apparatus is more eflicient, may be manufactured more economically, and may be used more conveniently.

For an understanding of the invention, reference will now be made to the drawings wherein an exemplary embodiment is illustrated, it being understood that variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention except as defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view partly in section of a system embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional detail of the applicator support.

Figure 3 is a section along line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail along line 44 of Figure l.

The apparatus proper for circulating air is housed in casing of any suitable solid material, such as metal or plastic as desired. Casing 10 may have any desired shape and is generally rectangular with the usual side and bottom walls and having end wall 12 and top 13. End wall 12 is provided with cylindrical air inlet sleeve 14. Top 13, also of rigid material, carries all of the apparatus disposed within casing 10. Top 13 is attached to the casing proper in any suitable manner to provide a tight air seal. As illustrated, top 13 has overhanging flanges 15 and 16. Flanges 15 and 16 may extend around the four sides of casing 10 and these flanges may have suitable gaskets 17 between the flanges and the top edges of the casing walls. Suitable bolts 18 are provided for attaching cover 13 to casing 10.

Carried by bottom 13 and extending Within the region enclosed by casing 10 is an assembly including motor 20, air blower 21 and heating chamber 22. Motor may be of any suitable type and may conveniently be a small induction motor. Motor 20 is supplied by wires 24 connected to plug 25. Motor 20 drives shaft 26 going to the rotor of blower 21. Blower 21 is preferably of the vane type having an eccentric rotor which may have up to four vanes for pumping air. Blower 21 has inlet aperture 29 for taking air from casing 10. Blower 21 has discharge pipe 30 connected to heating chamber 22. Heating chamber 22 may be of metal and may consist of a box having one wall provided with the air intake fed by blower discharge pipe 30 and the other wall having hot air outlet pipe 32. Heating chamber 22 may have any desired shape and may conveniently be either rectangular or circular as viewed from the direction of air flow.

Supported at the intake of heating chamber 22 is a heating assembly consisting of insulator annular member 35 having a number of peripheral notches 36 and wound with resistance wire 37 crossing opening 38. Opening 38 through which air passes is heated by resistance wire 37. Resistance wire 37 is connected in series with thermostatically controlled switch 40 to plug 25. Thermostatically controlled switch 40 may be any one of a number of thermostatic switches supported in any desired manner. As illustrated, the thermostatic member includes tube 41 suitably anchored in top wall 13 of the apparatus, tube 41 extending through a suitable aperture in heating chamber 22 so that the bottom of the thermostat is within the blast of hot air passing through the heating element. The various wires and members passing through the wall of hot air chamber 22 and top 13 are provided with usual insulating means and gaskets to preserve the sealed character of the mounting. Inasmuch as such mountings are well known, no detailed showing thereof is deemed necessary.

Heating chamber 22 is supported by suitable brackets from top 13, the chamber being so designed that outlet pipe 32 extends centrally of and passes through inlet sleeve 14 of casing 10.

Cover 13 also carries pipe 43 having the free end extending into the chamber defined by casing 10. Pipe 43 carries pressure gauge 44, bleeder valve 45 and rubber bulb 46 having check valve 47 at the end thereof. By squeezing rubber bulb 46 a number of times, air may be pumped into chamber 10, it being understood that bleeder valve 45 will be closed. It is also understood, of course, that the applicator will be connected so that the entire system including the apparatus so far described will be generally sealed from the atmosphere.

The apparatus so far described is connected by inner and outer flexible rubber tubes or hoses 50 and 51 to the applicator support and applicator to be now described. The applicator support includes a molded fitting having threaded sleeve 53 provided with nut 54. Nut 54 has inwardly directed shoulder 55 within which flexible hose 51 is disposed.

Within nut 54 and inside of hose 51 is annular support member 57 having tube 58 passing through the center thereof and rigidly attached to or forming a part thereof. Support member 57 has air passages 60 disposed around tube 58. Support member 57 is preferably long enough axially of threaded sleeve 53 to provide a mechanically stable construction. Support member 57 has outwardly extending peripheral edge 62 which normally lies within the shoulder of nut 54. The flexible rubber forming hose 51 is pulled over externally extending portion 55 and as is apparent in Figure 2 nut 54 may be drawn on the threaded sleeve to tighten the hose and support member 57. The free end of hose 51 may extend through the in side of sleeve 53 and be curved around over the edge of the sleeve as illustrated.

Tube 58 supported by support member 57 has part 64 extending away from the applicator to be described and adapted to be engaged by inner hose 50. Tube 58 is preferably of metal, such as aluminum, and has portions 65 extending from support member 57 away from the flexible hose connection previously described. Tube portion 65 may be circular in cross section but has end portion 66.

flattened. Attached to portion 66 of the tube is thermometer 67. Thermometer 67 may be attached by tape or by wire or thread or in any desired fashion. The thermometer may be attached to the inside of the outer tube or to the outside of the inner tube.

Tube portion 66 is flattened for the purpose of accommodating thermometer 67 Without necessitating an enlargement of the sleeve around the tube.

Extending inside of hose 51 and also inside of sleeve 53 is applicator supporting sleeve 70. Sleeve 7i? has externally directed flange 71 normally adapted to be disposed against the end of threaded sleeve 53. The fit of sleeve 70 within hose 51 is tight enough so that an air seal is efiected. Sleeve 70 has portion 73 extending over tube 65, sleeve 70 extending about the same distance as the inner tube. Sleeve 76 is preferably of transparent material having heat insulating properties and may conveniently be of some transparent plastic, such as for example Lucite.

Rubber applicator 75 of gum rubber or other soft flexible material may have neck 76 pulled over the end portion of tube '70. The applicator may have any desired shape and size and may be readily exchanged for a different applicator as required.

With the entire apparatus connected by the inner and outer rubber hose lengths, air may be introduced into chamber 19 and circulated by means of the pump. The air is heated by the heating element previously described, the Warm air being discharged through the inner hose to the applicator and the air from the applicator being forced back between the inner and outer hoses into casing 10. By making tube portion 70 of a heat insulating material, such as Lucite for example, the possibility of burning sensitive mucous membrane is averted. The thermometer is protected against the possibility of injury or damage While at the same time is so disposed as to measure accurately the temperature of the warm air used in the treatment. It is possible to slow the motor speed down so that fluctuations in pressure within the applicator result in a massaging action. Such a gentle massaging action, to-

gether. with heat, may be desirable in the treatment of certain specific disorders.

What is claimed is: Therapeutic apparatus comprising a casing having an air inlet sleeve and a coaxial but smaller air outlet sleeve within said air inlet sleeve, an electric motor and blower in said casing, said blower having an air inlet to the inside of the casing, said blower having an air outlet, a chamber Within said casing connected to the blower outlet to receive air therefrom, said chamber having a connection to the smaller outlet sleeve, an electric heating element within said chamber for heating air from the blower, a

rubber hose fitted over said casing air outlet pipe, 21 second and larger rubber hose disposed over said first named rubber hose and fitted over the casing air inlet sleeve, an applicator comprising inner and outer pipe portions, means maintaining said pipe portions in predetermined coaxial relation, said inner hose being attached to the inner pipe portion and said outer hose being attached to the outer pipe portion, an inflatable rubber bag fitted over the free end of said outer pipe portion, said outer pipe.

portion consisting of a transparent plastic material, av

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,011,606 Fulton a- Dec. 12, 1911 2,190,383 Newman Feb. 13, 1940 2,190,384 Newman Feb. 13, 1940 OTHER REFERENCES American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology for October 1939, pp. 725-727. (Copy in Division 55.) 

